Washing machine



June 11, 1963 A. LUDWIG ETAL 3,092,939

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June 11, 1963 A. LUDWIG ETAL WASHING MACHINE 5 SheetSSheet 3 Filed June 27, 1960 INVENTORS M01017 zuvww arena Flt-153MB? ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,t 92,989 WASHIN G MACHINE Anton Ludwig, Bad Vosiau, near Vienna, Austria, and Gerald Fleissner, Egelshach, Germany, assignors to Firma Fleissner G.m.b-H., Egelsbach, near Frankfurt am Main, Germany Filed Eune 27, 1960, Ser. No. 39,182

Ciaims priority, applicatien Germany June '26, 1959 16 Claims. (Cl. 68-158) The invention relates to a washing machine for wet treatment or washing of material such as wool or the like which, due for example to the grease, oils and fats such as lanolin contained therein, are lighter or are at the most equal in specific gravity to the washing medium. Thus the materials tend to rise to the surface of the washing liquor due to the buoyancy of the materials which has an adverse effect on the efiiciency of the device.

Especially for the washing and degreasing of wool, the practice in the past has been to employ conveyors consisting of several forks connected in series. These forks are thrust into the material to be washed and into the liquid almost vertically, then execute a horizontal forward movement, and then go almost vertically upward again.

During this latter phase the material is not conveyed. The forks are guided back again horizontally. These periodic cycles repeat continuously. This prior art machine has the disadvantage that the material forms tresses at the forks which seriously impair the operation of the machine.

It is one of the objects of this invention to overcome this disadvantage, which is remedied by using a perforated conveyor means. This conveyor means may be for example, a smooth, straight or arched sheet. This perforated conveyor means is to run through at least a portion of the material-conveying path in the liquid bath. Where it is to entrain the material, that is, at the material entrance, it dips into the liquid, is guided in the liquid for a distance, and is then taken out of the liquid again.

Due to the immersion of the perforated conveyor means, the bath strives to get into the interior of the conveyor means through the perforations. The flow directed toward the interior entnains the material being washed, so that it adheres to thebottom of the perforated conveyor means. As soon as the inflow is ended, the adhesion ceases insofar as it is caused by the flow. As the perforated conveyor means is lifted, the material is even repelled, because the liquid runs out through the perforated bottom.

The conveyor means may be taken out of the liquid completely or only partially; the eificiency is proportionate. In order that at the end of the path complete discharge of material by flow from the interior takes place as promptly as possible, lateral discharge apertures, with suitable pipe connections and extensions may be provided.

The conveyor means may be, for example, a rotating sieve drum which, however, must be mounted eccentrically. Due to this eccentric suspension, there will occur during immersion of the drum a flow of the liquid into the interior of the drum until the liquid level in the drum is equal to that of the rest of the wet treatment bath. With the liquid flowing into the interior of the drum the material is retained on the drum surface or applied by suction and moved forward in the direction of rotation of the drum. As soon as the drum is lifted out of the wet treatment bath again, the liquid flows back out of the interior of the drum until the liquid level is equalized. Then the material is detached from the sieve drum surface and a suction pump is not needed.

The material is guided in and out of the wet treatment bath by a conventional conveyor belt.

All perforated shells, bottoms, etc. of the individual devices can be covered further with a fine-meshed screen or the like, so as to avoid a flooding in into the interior of the drum in the case of fine fibers. Of course, for cleaning the various devices, manholes, handholes or the like are provided.

Transfer from drum to drum is conceivable if the eccentric running of the drums arranged in succession is matched and possibly individual centers of rotation provided at different heights. In addition, it is advantageous to provide a suitable device for adjusting the eccentricity of the drums. For example, there may be provided at the drum shell various holding means of the individual bearing points of the drums, which can be shifted and arrested on the side walls thereof.

In another form of the invention there can be used a sieve drum which is subdivided into individual chambers. Radially directed partitions or sheets extend over the entire drum width from side wall to side wall to subdivide the drum into chambers so that the drum need not be mounted eccentrically. The drum is provided with a closure, for example, by a pipe or the like, in the zone of the axis or shaft of the drum. The chambers may in turn be subdivided again. The operation with this device is about as follows:

When a chamber is immersed, the liquid will penetrate the interior of the chamber through the perforations in the drum so as to initiate the suction process. The perforations must be so adapted that the suction process is completed approximately :at the time or before the chamber emerges again from the washing liquor at the other end.

The suction process is initiated in the same manner. Now as the chamber moves upward, the washing liquor runs in the direction of the shaft. The washing liquor would not be able to flow on in the zone of the druin due to the closure. To take care of a rapid evacuation of the chamber, openings are provided in the side walls in the zone of the axis or shaft, so that the liquid can flow out in :a minimum of time. In order that the conveyance of the material cannot be influenced by the water flowing down, pipe connections or the like should be provided at these openings so that the liquid gets back into the bath at a desired distance from the path. There may also be provided, for example, troughs or the like, whereby the water flowing out of the pipe connections is collected and introduced into the bath where the path is not hindered. Such an arrangement may be used also in all subsequently described devices.

In all above described devices and also all further arrangements it is within the concept of the invention to design the perforation difierently, a greater perforation being provided, for example, at the periphery than in the center of the shell. By the provision and adjustment of strips, application of sieve fabric coverings and by other (arrangements the size of the perforation can be made variable. This is important for the reasonthat depending on the speed of the conveyor means the liquid invasion into the interior of the conveyor means must be controlled. The speed of the conveyor means is, of course, adjustable.

In certain cases it may be advantageous to provide on the conveyor means elevations in the form of slats and the like which may be :placed on the sieve drum shell.

The inlet or outlet belts for delivering the material and withdrawing the material should likewise be adjustable in speed. This requirement applies also to the individual conveyor means when used successively in a bath.

Means are provided for adjusting the conveyor means in spaced relation to each other.

To the particular conveyor means there may be assigned also adjustably adapted sheets located in the bath. These sheets can be set parallel to the conveyor means or unilaterally. For instance, when the conveyor means immerses the sieve drum, it may be that an elevated pressure is to be produced at one point, for example, at the inlet. An increased inflow speed is imparted to the liquid when it meets with a resistance provided close to the sieve drum. In fact, liquid cannot escape so easily and is then conveyed at increased speed through the perforation into the interior of the sieve drum. The same effect can be achieved by shaping the bottom of the device or by proper spacing.

' Anotherembodiment of the invention is characterized in that on a rotating shaft a plurality of sieve drums are provided on mounts. These sieve drums may be arranged rotating or fixed and so arranged relative to each other that if the shaft rotates, for example three sieve drums dip into the liquid, while three sieve drums are located outside the liquid. During the immersion of the empty sieve drums again the described suction process occurs. Instead of the sieve drums, closed or partially open tanks may be used which present preferably closed side walls and a perforated bottom. Sometimes, for example, half a sieve drum will be sulficient.

1 There may be used also an endless conveyor belt or conveyor chain. At the ends of the path are provided guide means, for example rolls, which drive and guide the endless conveyor means. On the conveyor belt there may be fastened tanks which present a perforated bottom. These tanks may be of any suitable cross-section. When the conveyor belt runs, some of the perforated tanks are out side the bath and some inside the bath; during immersion and passage again the above described suction effect is achieved. On all tanks there may be provided outlet openings possibly with pipe connections and drain troughs.

' A belt of the kind described above would have the ad- Vantage, for example, that it can be mounted obliquely toward the liquid level. Owing to this the amount of inflowing liquid can be better controlled. For instance, if the belt dips deeper into the liquid level at the outflow than at the entrance to the device, a steady inflow of liquid to the end of the device is insured. vOf course, the size of the perforation must be adapted to the length of the path; 7

Yet another arrangement of the invention may employ pontoon type conveyor means, which may be self-enclosed or open. At the ends of this pontoon type conveyor means an eccentric device is provided.

' This eccentric device brings about a raising and lowering of this conveyor arrangement and a movement forward and in reverse. The forward movement takes place for example in the conveying direction and the movement in reverse is intended to bring about the release of the material.

. A further object of the invention resides in the provision of means for washing and conveying fibers even though they are so imbued with fats and grease that they have a specific gravity less than of the washing liquor, which may be conveniently operated, may be manufacrtur'ed from readily available materials, and which may employ tanks having a suitable capacity of the washing liquor. r Y

1 These, togetherwith the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this fiber washing apparatus, preferred embodiments of which are disclosed in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the invention employing sieve drums;

FIG. 1a is a partial side elevation and sectional view of 4 an adjustable disc for adjustably supporting the drum shafts;

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view on an enlarged scale showing relative movement of the sieve drums;

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional detail view illustrating an embodiment of the invention employing a pontoon type conveyor;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail view of a portion of the pontoon conveyor;

FIG. 5 is a sectional detail View of another embodiment of the invention employing a sieve drum mounted concentrically about a shaft and being divided into compartments;

FIG. 6 is an ilustration of a ferris wheel-type of arrangement of sieve drums mounted about a shaft by connecting rod systems;

FIG. 7 is a sectional detail view of an embodiment of the invention employing an endless conveyor belt which has suitable tanks fixed thereto; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional detail View on an enlarged scale of a modified form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 5 employing a drum arrangement with the chambers spaced from the center of the drum.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, and with initial attention directed to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a bath 16 of a suitable washing liquor. 'I'his bath 16 may be disposed in any suitably shaped receptacle and contains suitable surface acting wetting agents or the like for the purpose of removing fats, oils, and grease from material such as wool, which is charged into the receptacle by means of the inlet conveyor 11 and is discharged out of the bath'16 by means of the outlet conveyor 11a.

Adapted to be immersed in the bath 16 are a plurality of drums 16a which are suitably perforated each of which being eccentrically mounted about shafts or pivots 15.

Due to gravity, the drum 16a has a portion thereof immersed in the bath 16. Fluid will fiow into the interior of each of the drums 16a causing the wool to become applied on the drums by suction caused by the inflowing liquid. The amount of perforations and size thereof is so selected that the suction process is terminated at a time when the second drum is moved into a position where the suction process becomes operative.

While, as shown in FIG. 1, the eccentricity of all of the drums is the same and they are shown as being symmetrically aligned, they may be provided with different degrees of eccentricity and need not be symmetrically alinged. The drum centers 18 move (FIG. 2) in the directions indicated by the arrows 16b and 17. When the greater drum portion is moved upward according to the arrow 16b, the liquid in the interior of the drum will escape therefrom as indicated at 16c while fluid flows into the drums in the directions indicated by the arrows at 17a. The geometric center of each drum is indicated at 18.

1 In operation, the material is successively gathered on each of the drums and propelled from the inlet conveyor 11 to the outlet conveyor 11a in a convenient and effective manner, while the fibers are thoroughly washed.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown an arrangement of parts including a pontoon 19 suspended by means of standards 38 and pins 40 which are secured to eccentrics 20. The pontoon is suitably perforated and may, if desired, be covered with a fine mesh fabric to prevent the wool passing through the perforations indicated at 42. Of course, the sieve drums may likewise be provided with such wire mesh.

The pontoon is alternatively raised and lowered through action of the eccentrics to cause movement of the wool fibers from the inlet conveyor 11 to the outlet conveyor 116. A suitable opening 21 may be provided at each end of the pontoon as a discontinuity in the conveyor means in lieu of the wire mesh fabric for transfer purposes 2% any wool fibers which may have entered perforations In operation, material fibers after they have entered through the relatively large perforations 42 in the body 22 of the pontoon into the interior of the pontoon will be conveyed backward and out of the opening 2-1 as they are completely detached from the conveyor means due to floating on the washing liquor within the confines of the pontoon. The aperture 21 does not extend to the body area 22 since otherwise as the conveyor means enters the liquid the latter would flow in therethrough and not through the perforations 42 thus eliminating the suction.

The flange 23 prevents this from happening so that only when the lowest turning point of the eccentrics 20 is reached does the opening 21 come under the liquid level or thereabouts.

In the embodiment as is shown in FIG. 5, there is provided a sieve drum 6 which is mounted about a shaft 1. The sieve drum 6 is subdivided into single cells by radial walls and the shell 4 of the sieve drum 6 is perforated. A pipe section 2 surrounds the shaft 1 and in conjunction with the radial walls 5 form completely closed cells. However, openings 3 may be provided.

When the sieve drum 6 is immersed in the bath 16, the liquid flows into the interior of the affected cells with the material being washed adhering to the shell 4 due to suction action. As soon as the reverse movement sets in, the material detaches itself from the shell 4 and the cell rises from the liquid. The liquid flows back through openings 3 quite quickly. Pipe connections or the like, not shown, may be provided so that the liquid flows back spaced from the path of the material being washed.

Troughs, not shown, can take up all or part of the liquid draining from such pipe connections and return it to the bath 16 at a desired point. Of course, inlet and outlet conveyors 11, 11a are provided. A curved plate 59 is arranged in the bath 16 below the shell 4.

In FIG. 6 there is shown a number of sieve drums 8 fastened to shaft 7 by means of a plurality of connecting rods 9. The sieve drums 8 may be rota-ted or may be mounted loose without any drive in the manner of a fer-ris wheel. The path of material conveyance is as previously described. The sieve drums 8 may be close together or spaced. Instead of sieve drums 8 pontoon tanks or tanks of other cross section may be used.

In FIG. 7 there is illustrated a conventional endless belt conveyor 10 which has rolls 12 about which it is entrained with one of the rolls 12 being driven.

In accordance with the invention, on the belt 10 there is secured a plurality of tanks 13 by any suitable means. The tanks 13 are provided with openings 13a and the surface of the tank is perforated as at 14 so as to permit the suction process to set in as soon as a. tank 13 is immersed adjacent the inlet conveyor 11 with the suction process being terminated shortly before a tank leaves the liquid of the bath 16 adjacent the outlet conveyor 11a. The belt 10 may be adjustable as to the height and length thereof and means may be provided so that the belt can be directed obliquely .to the level of the liquid.

The tanks 13 may be open toward the belt though it is conceivable to use a closed cover tank. The successive connection of several belts is within the concept of the invention.

In lieu of the eccentrically mounted drums as in FIG. 1, oval shaped drums or drums of any suitable shape such as those of polygonal cross section may be employed. Likewise, eccentric disks may be provided for centrally mounted drums and in those forms of the invention provided with outlet openings which dip into the liquid. In FIG. la, an eccentric disc a is shown which is rotatable in a bearing collar 15b for the purpose of adjustably locating shaft 15 which is rotatably supported in disc 15a. Conventional closing means may be provided in order that the liquid cannot pass into the In this form of the invention the size of the chambers may be varied such as by making the radial walls elastic and in the chambers can always escape through the openings 3a.

The walls 5a need not be radial so that the individual chambers may be arranged eccentrically about the shaft 1 and in lieu of a cylindrical drum a wave-shaped or other suitably shaped drum may :be employed.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that there has been disdosed a device for providing a wet treatment of materials which are lighter in specific gravity than the washing medium utilized, in which a perforated conveyor means is provided for the material and onto which conveyor means liquid passing through perforations therein causes the material by a suction process to adhere thereto so as to effectively convey the material being washed.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended that such obvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for wet treatment of materials having a specific gravity lighter than the washing medium employed comprising a receptacle for the washing medium, conveyor means at least partially immersible in said washing medium, said conveyor means having a plurality of compartmented elements each having a curved surface with perforation thereon, an inlet to said receptacle for materials being treated and an outlet for withdrawing materials which have been treated from said receptacle, means for moving said conveyor means from said inlet towards said outlet while simultaneously immersing said elements into said washing medium and thereafter withdrawing said elements from said washing medium to cause the material being treated to adhere due to suction to said conveyor means.

2. A device according to claim 1, said conveyor means comprising at least one eccentrically mounted rotating sieve drum.

3. A device according to claim 2, comprising means for adjusting the eccentricity of said sieve drum.

4. A device according to claim 1, comprising a sieve drum, radial walls in said sieve drum presenting discontinuities and forming a plurality of chambers.

5. A device according to claim 2, wherein there are a plurality of sieve drums arranged in staggered relations.

6. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said inlet and said outlet include endless belt conveyors.

7. A device according to claim 5, characterized in that the distance between the individual sieve drums is provided adjustable.

8. A device for the wet treatment of materials such as Wool and the like having a tendency to float in the treatment liquid, comprising a liquid treatment tank, inlet means to convey materials into said tank at one end thereof, discharge means to convey materials out of said tank at the opposite end thereof, movable conveyor means disposed between said inlet and said discharge means including separated compartmented elements each having a curved perforated outer surface, means to effect drainage at a spaced location from said outer surface of the liquid from said elements as said elements are raised out of the treatment liquid, and means for moving said conveyor means relative to said liquid treatment tank in a direction from said inlet means to said discharge means to cause the material being" treated to adhere thereto due to the suction of liquid going into-the separate compartmented elements during immersion of i said elements and to cause said materials to advance from said inlet means to said discharge means.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein said conveyor means includes a perforated rotatable drum, a plurality of radially extending baffie means in said drum dividing said drum into said compartmented elements, said means to effect drainage of liquid from said elements including drainage means located adjacent the center of said drum.

10. A device according to claim 8, wherein said conveyor means includes a rotatable drum having a peripherally perforated surface, an inner cylinder located centrally within said first drum, and radially extending baffle means dividing said drum into said compartmented elements.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein said inner cylinder includes a plurality of baflie plate means dividing said interior second drum into compartmented elements.

12. A device according to claim 10, wherein said conveyor means includes a rotatable drum having a perforated peripheral force, a plurality of angularly spaced radially extending bafiie plates in said drum'dividing said drum into said compartmented elements, said means to drain said compartmented elements including an opening extending for each of said compartmented elements locatedadjacent the center of said drum adjacent the sides thereof for discharge at such sides.

13. A device according to claim 8, wherein said condrums hav- 16. A device according to claim 8, wherein said con-' veyor means includes an endless conveyor belt and said compartmented elements being connected to said conveyor belt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 79,935 Andrews July 14, 1868 565,581 Watson Aug. 11, 1896 1,520,158 Swain Dec. 23, 1924 1,864,738 King June 28, 1832 2,493,944 Brooks Jan. 10, 1950 1960 2,963,893 Kusters Dec. 13, 

1. A DEVICE FOR WET TREATMENT OF MATERIALS HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY LIGHTER THAN THE WASHING MEDIUM EMPLOYED COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE FOR THE WASHING MEDIUM, CONVEYOR MEANS AT LEAST PARTIALLY IMMERSIBLE IN SAID WASHING MEDIUM, SAID CONVEYOR MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF COMPARTMENTED ELEMENTS EACH HAVING A CURVED SURFACE WITH PERFORATION THEREON, AN INLET TO SAID RECEPTACLE FOR MATERIALS BEING TREATED AND AN OUTLET FOR WITHDRAWING MATERIALS WHICH HAVE BEEN TREATED FROM SAID RECEPTACLE, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CONVEYOR MEANS FROM SAID INLET TOWARDS SAID OUTLET WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY IMMERSING SAID ELEMENTS INTO SAID WASHING MEDIUM AND THEREAFTER WITHDRAWING SAID ELEMENTS FROM SAID WASHING MEDIUM TO CAUSE THE MATERIAL BEING TREATED TO ADHERE DUE TO SUCTION TO SAID CONVEYOR MEANS. 